No Tax Hike In Proposed Lower Merion Township Budget

LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP, PA — Residents in Lower Merion Township have cause to celebrate the township's proposed 2020 budget as it does not feature a real estate tax increase.

Should the budget be approved in its current form, it would mark nine years of now real estate millage rate increases.

Expenditures in the budget are $70,624,433, while revenue comes in at $66,048,850, giving a $4,575,583 deficit.

In addition to real estate taxes staying flat, the proposed budget does not anticipate a rate increase to the sanitary sewer rental fee. That rate will be reviewed before the official 2020 Sanitary Sewer rental rate is adopted by ordinance and billed in May 2020.

An 8 percent increase from 2019 to 2020 is proposed for solid waste fees, however. Proposed solid waste fees for 2020 are: one mini can per week ($237), one container per week ($365}, two containers per week ($437) and $72 for each additional can. The rear yard collection fee for trash and recycling placed more than 5 feet from the curb line will increase to $249.

You can see the full budget online here.

The public can attend hearings on the budget Nov. 20 and Dec. 4.

On Dec. 18, the Board of Commissioners will vote on adopting the budget.